Itinerary

1. Day 1

   • Start in Bucharest, the capital city of Romania. See the Old Town with Stavropoleos Church, Macca-Vilacrosse covered street, beautiful architecture, and great places to eat and drink (like Caru’ cu Bere or a rooftop location). 
   • Visit the Palace of the Parliament—the second-largest building in the world after the Pentagon. Optionally, see Ceaușescu House instead (the private residence of the former dictator), or the National Village Museum. Overnight in the Sinaia area.

2. Day 2

   • Visit Peleș Castle, the residence of King Charles I of Romania, one of the most beautiful and luxurious summer royal palaces of Europe. See Bran Castle (the so-called “Dracula Castle”), more impressive from outside. 
   • You can visit also, somewhere else, the virtually unknown place where Bran Castle’s original furniture and royal collections are kept today. Overnight in Brașov

3. Day 3

   • In Brașov, see the Council Square, the narrow Rope Street, Behind the Walls Alley, the large Gothic Black Church, featuring a collection of precious Anatolian rugs, and walk on the pedestrian Republicii Street, with its restaurants, shops, and outdoor cafes. 
   • Optionally, climb Tâmpa Hill on cable car, or visit Libearty Bear Sanctuary, home for over 100 rescued brown bears, or discover Prejmer village fortress (the strongest of Transylvania, inscribed on the UNESCO list), or one of the best horse farms of Romania. Overnight in Brașov.

4. Day 4

   • See Viscri village, famous for its connections with King Charles III. Enter in the white fortified church, included in UNESCO. Optionally, visit another place, the off-the-beaten-path last truly Saxon village left in Romania. 
   • Arrival at Sighișoara, another UNESCO site and a lovely inhabited medieval citadel, the birthplace of Vlad the Impaler (“Dracula”). The walking tour includes the Citadel Square, the Scholars’ Staircase, the Church on the Hill, and the Clock Tower, with its astronomical clock and museum. Overnight in Sighișoara.

5. Day 5

   • Cross the mountains through the Hungarian Szeklers' community area. 
   • See Red Lake, formed by an accidental mountain drift in 1838. Pass the dramatic Bicaz Gorges (where the adventurous can climb a Via Ferrata), and reach the Northeastern Moldova province. Visit a little-known place, one of Europe’s largest convents, with 400 nuns (an entire monastic village with over 100 houses), with tapestry and textile workshops run by nuns. Then, discover another historical region, Bucovina, a stronghold of Romania’s traditional culture. Overnight in Gura Humorului.

6. Day 6

   • Visit the famous painted Monastery, Voroneț (UNESCO), known as "the Sistine Chapel of the East" and featuring one of the best Last Judgment frescoes. Admire the unique 18,000+ painted eggs collection of Vama Egg Museum, and discover how they are decorated. 
   • If working, visit a traditional blacksmith workshop. See Moldovița Monastery (UNESCO), for some—the most beautiful of all.
   • Optionally, take a tour with Mocănița Huțulca, a narrow-gauge train. Cross Palma Pass (home to one of the most beautiful zip lines in Europe). Visit the large Sucevița Monastery (UNESCO), looking like a mighty fortress. “The Ladder of John of Sinai” fresco is considered one of the best, rarely shown in medieval Romanian art. In the village of Marginea, enter the black pottery workshop. Overnight in Gura Humorului.

7. Day 7

   • Cross Ciocănești village, with its painted houses, then the scenic Carpathian Mountains, through the Prislop Pass into Maramureș. V
   • ery conservative, the local people have developed a unique culture with strong traditions and distinct lifestyle, with their folk costumes worn on holidays, dowry tradition, the hay culture, self-sufficient farming, and wonderfully carved wooden gates and churches. On Iza Valley, at Săcel, visit several farmers and craftspersons, then, at Botiza, a UNESCO-recognized vegetal dyed rugs weaver. Great scenery along the way. Overnight in Breb or Sighetu Marmației area.

8. Day 8

   • Visit a wood carving workshop, where wooden gates, furniture, and churches are created. 
   • Walk around the beautiful Bârsana Monastery and discover its secrets. See Sighetu Marmației’s Memorial of the Victims of Communism (a political prison in the ancient regime, one of Europe's main memory sites, alongside Auschwitz Museum and the Peace Memorial in Normandy), the local food market, and Elie Wiesel Memorial House (the Jewish museum). Overnight in Breb or Sighetu Marmației area.

9. Day 9

   • Head to Săpânța, with its unique "Merry Cemetery," where the painted wooden crosses carry stunning epitaphs about the deceased's life. If available, meet a cross maker. 
   • Then, on Cosău Valley at Sârbi, visit a fruit brandy distillery and typical water mills and whirlpools, still used by the local women to wash heavy wool blankets or to press the wool felt. Walk around Breb village, meeting more farmers and craftspeople and a special person. Alternatively, take a ride with the famous steam train Mocănița on Vaser Valley, and then a hike to the Horses Waterfall, second tallest in Romania, located in Rodna Mountains National Park. Overnight in Breb or Sighetu Marmației area.

10. Day 10

    • Visit Desești wooden church (UNESCO, with well-preserved paintings). See Mara trout farm: nice wood architecture, and a waterfall. 
    • Stop in Baia Mare, where you can stroll around the medieval Old Square (including an artist’s workshop) and St. Stephens Tower (14th century, quite a view from the top). Arrive at Cluj-Napoca, the largest city in Transylvania. See landmarks like the Gothic St. Michael Church, Banffy Palace, and the street in the mirror (where the buildings on the right side are the reflection of the ones on the left side). Overnight in Cluj-Napoca.

11. Day 11

    • Visit Turda Salt Mine, a stunning underground complex. Optionally, visit Rimetea village, inhabited by Hungarians, the place where the Sun rises twice… See Alba Iulia, another former capital of Transylvania, with its mighty Vauban citadel, Catholic Cathedral (1,000 years old), Renaissance palaces, and Roman ruins. Optionally, visit Hunedoara’s Gothic Corvin Castle, the largest medieval castle in Romania. Overnight in Sibiu.

12. Day 12

    • Visit Sibiu, the chief city of the Transylvanian Saxons. The Huet, Great, and Lesser Squares are the landmarks of the Old Town, as are the baroque Brukenthal Palace and the Gothic Evangelical Cathedral. 
    • Watch the merchant houses featuring “the sleepy eye” dormers. View the Liars Bridge and the Guilds Tree. If you choose, visit Astra Village Museum, the largest in Romania, or Sibiel, a typical Romanian old village, or a gypsy coppersmith. Overnight in Sibiu.

13. Day 13

    • If open (from June to October), climb a famous road, Transfăgărășan, with its brown bears, then see Vidraru Lake and Curtea de Argeș royal necropolis. 
    • Otherwise, follow Olt Valley, with stops at Cozia Monastery, built by Prince Mircea the Elder in 1388, and (or) at Horezu pottery and UNESCO monastery, or at Curtea de Argeș. 
    • Arrive back in Bucharest, where the circuit ends.